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Ludhiana: Alert Samrala shopkeeper foils scam attempt by fraudsters posing as armymen
Police have urged citizens and shopkeepers to exercise caution and verify any bulk orders, especially those claiming to be from government or military agencies
A vigilant stationery shopkeeper in Samrala narrowly avoided falling victim to an online fraud involving imposters posing as Indian Army personnel. The conmen attempted to dupe him under the guise of placing a large order for stationery supplies for an army canteen in Samrala.
Rajat Khullar, who owns a stationery shop in Samrala, received a phone call from a man identifying himself as Ravi Kumar from the local army canteen. Claiming an urgent need for notebooks and pens worth ₹5,400, the caller shared a forged army ID via WhatsApp. To build trust, the fraudsters first transferred ₹100 to Rajat’s bank account. They then sent a fake SMS, impersonating a bank alert, claiming that ₹54,000 had been mistakenly transferred instead of ₹5,400.
The caller urged Rajat to refund the excess amount of ₹48,600 immediately.
Sensing something suspicious, Rajat checked his bank account and found no such credit. He then visited the actual army canteen with a friend, only to discover that no such order had been placed. Officials at the canteen confirmed that similar scams had been attempted on other shopkeepers in the area.
“I almost believed them—they had ID proof and spoke convincingly. But I decided to verify before sending money,” Rajat said, adding that at least two local shopkeepers had recently lost money to similar frauds.
Nitish Chaudhary, station house officer of Samrala police station, said that the case was referred to the cyber crime cell. “We are tracking the digital trail and hope to arrest the culprits soon,” he said.
Police have urged citizens and shopkeepers to exercise caution and verify any bulk orders, especially those claiming to be from government or military agencies.
